Frederick gkrover



Nov. 2 4- 1,517,059

F. GROVER MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING WRAPPERS AROUND RECTANGULAR AND OTHER BODIES A Filed April 12 1924 2 Sheets-lShee'. 1

Figl

F. GROVER MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING WRAPPERS AROUND RECTANGULAR AND OTHER BODIES Filed April 12 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 49 I 9 Fig9- +1?- Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED, STATES 1,511,059 PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK GROVER, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORTO THE FORGROVE MACHINERY COMPANY LIMITED, OF LEEDS, YORK, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING WRAPPERS AROUND RECTANGULAR AND OTHER BODIES.

Application filed April 12, 1924. Serial No. 706,000.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Gnovnn, a British subject, residing at Leeds, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Automatically Folding VVrappers Around Rectangular and Other Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for automatically folding wrappers composed say of tin foil around rectangular and other bodies such for instance as chocolates, ot the kind wherein the bodies to be'wrapped are fed forward in turn by a step-by-step rotated disc on to the top of a vertically'reciprocat-ing plunger, and in which each body so fed and its wrapper, previously cut off from a continuous strip and brought to above said body by reciprocating device, are pushed upwardly'by means of said plunger through a dilatable aperture ofa fixed member to lay down the overhanging portions of the wrapper against the sides of the body and bring the partiallywra-p-ped body into the embrace of a superposed gripper device, the now depending portions of the wrapper being then tucked under the gripper held body.

In this type of machine as hitherto constructed, all the depending portions of the wrapper have been tucked under the body while the latter is being held above the vertically reciprocating plunger byv the grip per device, the completely wrapped body being then removed from the latter by a second upward movement of the vertically reciprocating plunger prior to it descendingto bring up the next body to be wrapped; and the object of this presentfinvention is lto provide an improved wrapping ma chine, as hereinafter described, the arrangement being such as to enable the wrapping ofmore than one body at a time to be carried on with a view to obtaining a materiallyincreased output within a given time.

According to this invention the machine comprises in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, means for feeding the bodies in turn onto the top of said plunger when in the down position, means for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed member having a dilatable vaperture through which each wrapper and its .body are carried in turn by the upward movement of the plunger to lay down the overhanging portions 'of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaft intermittently rotated step-by-step to time in with the intermittent reciprocations of the plunger, a series of oppositely situated gripper devices carried at equal distances apart on or about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger when in the up position and carry it step-by-step through half a revolution and then deliver it, means for opening and closing each oppositely situated pair oi gripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, reciprocating tucker means operated during each rest period of the step-by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the remaining depending portions of the wrappers of the gripperheld bodies as they pass thereover in turn during each step rotation of the gripper devices.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the difierent views indicate the same or similar parts 2+ Figs. 1, 2, 3 and at are respectively a -front elevation, a side elevation, a plan view and a sectional plan view, of a wrapping machine constructed in accordance with this invention arranged for the wrapping of rectangular bodies; while Figs. 5, 6, T, 8 and-"9 illustrate successive stages in the wrapping of a rectangular body in its wrapper by the machine shown at 1 to 4. v

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4i of the drawings, 1 is a table supported above a bed-plate 2 through the medium of intermediate pillars 31 and a front frame at, and the bed-plate 2 is provided with a bracket 5 carrying a main shaft 6 which is driven by a belt pulley 7 in. the direction indicated by an arrow (Fig. 1). The table 1 supports a disc 8 mounted on a shaft 9 provided, with a Geneva move ment 10 driven through spur pinion'll, spur wheel. 12, spur pinion 13 and bevel gearing 141 from the main shaft 6, the said disc 8 being provided with a rim 15 formed with through recesses 16 for the reception of the bodies to be wrapped.

Mounted in the bracketf) and front frame 4 1s a shaftl6 driven in the direction lndicated by an arrow (Fig. 1) from the main "shaft by spur gearing 17, and the said shaft 16 is provided with a cam 18 which, through the medium of a double-ended lever 19*pivoted. on a fixed shaft 20 supthe medium o'i a lever-and-link mechanism 29 operated by a cam 30 situated on the shaft 16. 1s a'plunger which is recipro- 'c'a'ted vertically through the medium of lever-andlink mechanism 32 actuated by a cam 33 situated on the shaft 16, while the cutoff wrappers are received singly upon a pair of suction tubes 34% which are intermittently reciprocated through the medium of'levenand-link mechanism connected to the "friction wheel drive 23 of the wrapj'ie'r material feed so as to bring the carried wrapper to a central position above the top of the plunger 31 and beneath a tubular brush 36 fixed over and in central alignment with the plunger '31, the suction being applied to the tubes 34; by a pipe-connected pump 37 operated through the medium of a double-ended. lever 38 actuated by a cam 39 situated on a shaft 4:0 driven by a spur pinion il meshed with the spur wheel 12.

The spur wheel 12, through the medium of a'Geneva movement 4:2, drives shaft 43 whose upper end carries a bracket e lfitted with four rods 45 arranged'in pairs at right angles to each other and made capable oi a rocking movement therein through the medium of attached armslG arranged in pairs elastically held together by connecting s n'ings L7, and each'pair of rods 45 are provided at their outer or opposite ends with attached arms -1l-8 carrying gripper jaws 49, one pair or arms 4L8 on each pair of rods being connected'by a link 5i), while 51. is 'afwedge adapted at times through the niedii'un oi" a yhvoted-lo'ver mechanism 52 and'a cam 53 situated on the shaft -l(), to

enter-between"the adjacent arms -16 of the mas-"45 and force theinapart against the action of their spring 4-? so as to rock the rods intheir bracket-AH and open the two oppOSite'sets of gripper jaws l9 simultaneously.

is a tucker blade carried on an arm pivoted. at 56 to the table 1 and attachcd'by a "link 57 tonne arm of a bell-crank lever 58 pivoted onjthe shaft as and operated by a cam 59 situated on the shaft 40, and 60 is a second tucker blade carried on an arm 61 attached by a link 62 to the other arm of the bell-crank lever 58 and pivoted at 63 to the tablel, while Get is a stationary tucking member and (35 (Fig. 3) is a delivery chute. V

In action the machine works as fol lows The bodies to be i'vrap'ped are passed into the recesses 16 in the rim 15 of the stepby-step rotated disc 8 by which each body (56 is brought in turn to above and comes to rest on the top of the plunger 31, while a wrapper 67, previously cut-oil from the continuous strip 2'? by' the knife 28 and received by the suction tubes 23 i, is brought by said suction tubes 34: to a central posi tion above the body 66 and plunger 31 and to beneath the tubular brush 36 (see Fig. 5 and the lower portion of Fig; 6). The body 66 is now carried upward by the plunger 81 so as to free the superposed wrapper 6'? from the suction tubes 34 and "arise the body 66'and its wrapper (S7 to pass through the tubular brush 36 which lays down the overlmnging portions of the wrapper 67 against the sides or the body 66, the continued upward movement of the plunge' 31 then bringing the now partially wrapped body 68 in bet-ween the superposed gripper jaws 49 which are momentarily open to receive it and which then close upon the partially wrapped body 66 (see the upper portion of Fig. 6); The plunger 31 now descends to the level of the table 1 ready to receive the subsequent body, when the tucker 5+1: (see particularly 3 and 6.) is rocked on its pivot 56 through themedium of its arm 55, link 57, bell-crank lever 58 and cam 59 so as to tuck one oi. the rear depending corner portions of the Wrapper 67 under'the gripper-held body (36 (see Fig. 7 The tucker 54 now recedes, when the gripper-held body (it moved horizontally through a quarter of a revolution by the step rotation of the shaft a3 through the medium oii'its geared Geneva movement 42, and when at rest in this second position the second tucker 60 (Fig. 3) is rocked on its pivot 63 through the medium of its arm 61, link 62-, bell-crank lever 58 and cam 59 so as to tuck the other rear depending corner portion of the wrapper 67 under the gripper-held body 66 (see Fig. 8). The tucker 60 now recedes, when the gripper-held body 66 is moved horizontally througha further quarter of a revolution by the step rotation of theshaft 43 through the medium of its geared Geneva movement 42, and during such further quarter revolution the said gripper-held body 66 is caused to'travel over the stationary tucking member 64 whose shape is such as to tuck'the two front depending corner portions of the wrapper 67 in turn under the grippenheld body #66 so as to completely enclose it (see Fig. This second quarter revolution brings the completely wrapped and gripper-held body '66 over the delivery chute 65, whereupon the wedge 51 is rocked through the medium of its pivoted-lever mechanism 52 and cam 53 so as to pass in betwen the adjacent arms 46 of the rods 45 and force them apart against the action of their spring 47, thereby rocking said rods 45 in their brackets 44 and opening the gripper jaws 4L9 from which the completely wrapped body 66 now falls into said delivery chute 65.

It will now be understood that during each quarter of a revolution of the four sets of gripper jaws 49, the wrapping of a body is completed by its passage over the.

stationary tucking member 64, the step-bystep rotated disc 8 brings a body on to the top of the plunger 31, and the reciprocating suction tubesi-H bring a cut-off wrapper to a central position above said body over the plunger 31; while during each rest position of the four sets of gripper jaws 49, a completely wrapped body is'dropped from the gripper jaws 49 into the delivery chute 65, a partially wrapped body is received by the gripper aws 49' from the plunger 31, one of the rear depending corner portions of the wrapper of the body just received and the other rear depending corner portion of the wrapper of the body preceding it are simultaneously tucked under their bodies by the tuckers 54 and 60 respectively.

The recessed rim 15 of the step-by-step rotated disc 8 is made interchangeable to suit different bodies to be wrapped, for which purpose also the feed of the wrapper strip 27 and the stroke of the suction tubes 3% are made adjustable so as to deliver wrappers of a suitable size to above the bodies as they are brought in turn on to the top of the plun er 31, while the gripper jaws 49 are made adjustable in the arms 4:8 to'accommodate the different bodies to be wrapped.

W'hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine of the type specified for antomatically folding wrappers around rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reoiprocated plunger, means for feeding the bodies in turn on to the top of said plunger when in the down position, means for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed member having a dilatable aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the upward movement of the plunger to lay down the overhanging portions of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaft intermittently rotated step-by-step to time in with the intermittent reciprocations of the plunger, a series of oppositely situated gripper devices carried at equal distances apart on or about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a vices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, reclprocatmg tucker means operated during each rest period of the step-by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the remaining depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies as they passthereover in turn during each step rotation of the gripper devices.

2. A machine of the type specified for automatically folding wrappersaround rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva movement driven disc for feeding the bodies in turn on to the top of said plunger when in the down position, means for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed member having a dilatable aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the upward movement of the plunger to lay down the overhanging portions of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaft intermittently rotated step-by-step to time in with the intermittent reciprocations of the plunger, a. series of oppositely situated gripper devices carried at equal distances apart on or about said'shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger when in the up position and carry it step-by-step through half a rovolution and then deliver it, means for opening and closing each oppositely situated pair of gripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, reciprocating tucker means operated during each rest period of the step by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the remaining depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies as they pass thereover in turn during each step rotation of the gripper devices.

3. A machine of the type specified for automatically folding wrappers around rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva movement driven disc for feeding the bodies in turn on to the top of said plunger when in the down position, intermittently reoiprocated suction tubes for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed member having a dila-table aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the upward movement of the plunger to lay down the overhanging portions of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaft intermittently rotated step-by-step to time in with the intermittent reciprocations of the plunger, aserie's of oppositely situated gripper devices carried at equal distances apart on or about said shaft and adapted in {turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger when in the up position and carry it step-by-step through half a revolution and then deliver it, means for ope n ing'and closing each oppositely situated pair of gripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receivingand delivery positions respectively, reciprocating tucker means ope-rateddu-ring each rest period of the step- 'by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the re maining de] )ending portions of the wrap pers of the gripper-held bodies as they pass thereover in turn during each step rotation of the gripper devices.

i. A machine of the type specified for automatically folding wrappers around rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva n'iovemcnt driven disc- *for feeding the. bodies in turn on to the top of said plunger when in the down position, ii'itermittently reciprocated suction tubes for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed member having a dilatable aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the up ward movement of the plunger to lay down theoverhanging portions of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaftintermittently rota-ted step by step through a geared Geneva movement to time in with the intermittent reciprocations of the plunger, a series of oppositely situated gripper devices carriedat equal distances apart'on or about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger whenin the up position and carry it step-bystep through half a revolution and then de liver it, means for opening and closing each oppositely situated pair of gripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, reciprocating tucker means operated duringeach rest period of the step-by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck undersome of the depending portions of the wrappers o'f the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the remainingdepending portions of the wrappers of the gripperheld bodies as they pass the-reover in turn during each step rotation of the gripper devices. v

5. A machine of the type specified for automatically folding wrappers around rec (angular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva movement driven disc for feeding the bodies in turn onto the top of said plunger when in the down position, intermittently reciprocated suction tubes for feeding the wrappers in turn. to above each body so fed, a lixed member having a dilatable aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the upward movement of the plunger to lay down the overhanging portions or each w 'apper against the sides oi its body, a shaft intermittently rotated step-by-step tl'irough a geared Geneva movement to time in with the intern'iittent reciprocations of the piunger, iour oppositely situated pairs oi"spring-connected gripper a-ws carried on and arranged at ninety degrees apart about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger when in theup position and carry it stepby-step through half: a revolution and then deliver it, means for opening and closing eacl'r oppositely situated pair oitgripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, reciprocating tucker means operated during each rest period of the step-by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the remaining depending portions of the wrappers of the gripperheld bodies as they pass therem er in turn during each step rotation of thergn'ipper devices.

(i. A machine of the type specified for automatically folding wrappers around rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva movement driven disc for feeding the bodies in turnon to the top of said plunger when in the down position, intermittently reciprocated suction tubes for feeding the \VIZIPPQI'S in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed memberhaving a dilatable aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn the upward movement oithe plunger to lay down the overhanging portions of *each wrapper against the sides of its bod-y,a

shattintermittentlyrota-ted step-by-step through a geared Geneva moven'renttotime in with the mternnttent reciprocations of the plunger, four oppositely situated pairs ofspring-connected gripper jaws-carriedon and arranged at ninety degrees apart about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger when in the up position and carry it step= by-step through halt a revolution and then deliver it, a cam-oymrated wedge for open ing and closing each oppositely situated pair of gripper devices as theycome to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, re-ci )rocating tucker means operated during each rest period of the step-by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies and stationary means for tucking under the remaining depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies as they pass thereover in turn (luring each step rotation of the gripper devices.

7. A machine of the type specified for automatically folding wrappers around rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva movement driven disc for feeding the bodies in turn on to the top of said plunger when in the down position, intermittently reciprocated suction tubes for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so fed, a fixed member hav ing a dilatable aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the upward movement oi? the plunger to lay down the overhanging portions of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaft intern'littently rotated step-by-step through a geared Geneva movement to time in with the intermittent reciprocations ot the plunger, tour oppositely situated pairs of springconnectcd gri per jaws carried on and arranged at ninety degrees apart about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially wrapped body from the plunger when in the up position and carry it step-bystep through halt a revolution and then deliver it, a cam-operated wedge for opening and closing each oppositely situated pair of gripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectively, lever and cam-actuated 1'Cl]')i.0 eating tucker means operated during each rest period of the step-by-step rotated grip per devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies, and stationary means for tucking under the remaining depending portions of the wrappers of the gripperhcld bodies as they pass thercover in turn during each step rotation of the gripper devices.

8. A machine of the type specified for automatically -folding wrappers around rectangular and other bodies, comprising in combination, an. intermittently reciprocated plunger, a Geneva movement driven disc for feeding the bodies in turn on to the top of said plunger when in the down position, intermittently reciprocated suction tubes for feeding the wrappers in turn to above each body so ted, a fixed member having a dilat-able aperture through which each wrapper and its body are carried in turn by the upward movement of the plunger to lay down the ov rhanging portions of each wrapper against the sides of its body, a shaft intermittently rotatet step-by-step through a geared Geneva movement to time in with the intern'iittent reciprocations of the plunger, tour oppositely situated. pairs of spring-connected gripper jaws carried. on and arranged at ninety degrees apart about said shaft and adapted in turn to receive a partially w 'apped l)O( y from the plunger when in the up position and carry it step-by-step through halt a revolution and then deliver it. a cam-operated wedge for opening and closing each oppositely situated pair of gripper devices as they come to rest in turn at the receiving and delivery positions respectivclv, lever and cam-actuated reciprocating tucker means operated during each rest period of the step-by-step rotated gripper devices to tuck under some of the depending portions of the wrappers of the gripper-held bodies and a fixed tucking n'iel'uber for tucking under the remaining depending portions ot the wrappers ot the gripper-held bodies as they pass thereover in turn dur ing each step rotation of the gripper devices.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence ottwo witnes; 

